Interested in nature with a focus on birding and astronomy. Current project is a visual hunt for novae or exploding stars in the Galaxy from New York City. Got hooked on discovering things while birding and found that the hunt for novae in NYC is right up my alley.

Friday, March 14, 2008

Peregrine Falcon Perch
MET LIFE BUILDING
Image by BEN CACACE
(Click image for a larger view)

During lunch hour today I spotted a Peregrine Falcon heading south while looking for American Kestrels from Park Ave. & 51st St. north of St. Bart's.

It was a brief view of a falcon disappearing behind a building northwest of the Met Life Building (between 44th/45th St. & Park Ave.).

A minute later the falcon reappeared a bit further south circling just west of Met Life. It then dove and perched on a dish antennae on the west edge of Met Life's north face. The image above was taken in the evening. Not during lunch when the falcon was seen. Click the image for a larger view.

This is the first time I've spotted a falcon perched on Met Life's north face. I moved to 48th & Park Ave. to get a better look. This is probably the first time I've viewed a perched Peregrine where I knew its location but couldn't make it out naked eye.

The distance to the perch is over 1,300 feet based on the distance to the building's base (~1,088 feet) and the height of the Met Life Building (~808 feet).

I stopped by the site after work from 6:05p to 6:35p and didn't see any Kestrels or Peregrines in the area.